The much-loved muffins from Blue Sky Bakery may be sold in coffee shops throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan, but the joy of a Blue Sky muffin eaten straight out of the oven can only be experienced at the bakery itself. Even for locals, it can be difficult to show up at the right moment for a fresh muffin—the bakery closes by 2 p.m., and its operations are small-batch to the last. Still, the perfect muffin is a treat worth pursuing, and in this episode founder Erik Goetze puts into words what his bakers try to deliver in every tray.

James Boo has been a Serious Eats contributor since 2010, writing on barbecue - among other foods, people, and places. Many episodes of his web series, "1 Minute Meal," have debuted on Serious Eats.

Outside of Serious Eats, James works as Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the $10-or-less dining guide, Real Cheap Eats. He's also edited and written for his own international food and travel blog, The Eaten Path, since 2007.